This invention relates to forming splices in optical fibers and more particularly to a method of aligning adjacent ends of optical fibers, prior to joining them in a splice, so as to reduce the amount of light that is lost as a result of the splice.
It is desirable that minimum loss occur as a result of a splice between adjacent one ends of first and second optical fibers. Various methods and structures for supporting and aligning adjacent ends of optical fibers so as to maximize the light transmitted through the fibers prior to forming a splice therebetween are disclosed in literature such as: "Fusion Junctions for Glass-Fibre Waveguides" by R. B. Dyott, et al., Electronic Letters, June 1, 1972, Vol. 8-11, pp. 290-292; "Low-Loss Splices in Optical Fibers" by R. M. Derosier, et al., Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 52, No. 7, September, 1973, pp. 1229-1235; "Optical Fiber Vacuum Chuck" by W. W. Benson, et al, Applied Optics, April, 1975, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 816-817; "Hot Splices of Optical Waveguide Fibers" by Y. Kohanzadeh, Applied Optics, March, 1976, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 793-795; "Splicing Silica Fibers With an Electrical Arc" by D. L. Bisbee, Applied Optics, Vol. 15, No. 3, March, 1976, pp. 796-798; "Technique for Joining Small-Core Optical Fibers" by J. H. Stewart, et al., Electronic Letters, Oct. 14, 1976, Vol. 12, No. 21, page 570; and "Compensating Fibre Splice Technique" by M. K. Dakss, et al., Electronic Letters, Apr. 28, 1977, Vol. 13, No. 9, pp. 257-258. In a conventional method of forming a fusion splice, for example, the axes of adjacent one ends of a pair of fibers are visually aligned in the y and z directions. The ends of the fibers are then aligned for obtaining a maximum value of light transmitted in the two fibers and detected at the output end of the second fiber. After the one ends of the fibers are brought lightly into butt contact, an electrical arc is produced there for fusing them together. This technique is disadvantageous in field applications including long distance communication channels having opposite ends of the second fiber spaced many kilometers apart since it normally requires a human operator at both ends of the second fiber. An object of this invention is the provision of the improved method of forming a splice between adjacent ends of optical fibers. Another object is the provision of an improved method of aligning ends of fibers that are to be joined in a splice.